Fuel metering and distributing means



April 30, 1946. E. 1-. VINCENT FUEL METERING AND DISTRIBUTING MEANS Filed Aug. 19, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

Vince/727 April 30, 1946.

' E. T. VINCENT FUEL METERING AND DISTRIBUTING MEAN S Filed Aug. 19, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Edward T Vanc t April 1946. E. T. VINCENT FUEL METERING AND DISTRIBUTING MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 19, 1942 f 8 Z w w 5 w J M r. a v a W. M 8 K m. z a w Z 40 0. ,6 r 7 Mp .IC, mo 0. 2

INVENTOR. T l mcen'b Pitta/mg? April 1946- E. T. VINCENT FUEL METERING AND DISTRIBUTING MEANS Filed Aug. 19, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. ,E'dwarcl T l z'ncent BY /& fl,

Patented Apr. 30, 1946 FUEL me'rname AND DISTRIBUTING MEANS Edward T. Vincent, Ann Arbor, Mich., assignor to Continental Motors Corporation, Muskegon, Mich, a corporation of Virginia Application August 19, 1942, Serial No. 455,393

'1 Claims. (Cl. 137-145) My present invention relates to an improved fuel metering and distributing means and more particularly to a unitary structure operable in conjunction with a fuel pump, and comprises a timer and cooperating valve structure operating to measure and distribute fuel under pressure to a plurality of fuel lines connected with cylinders of a fuel injection engine, and preferably an engine of the compression ignition type.

An object of my present invention is to construct an improved fuel metering and distributing means by providing an electrically operated solenoid actuated valve for controlling the distribution of measured amounts of fuel to a pl r li y of outlets, each of which outlets are controlled by separate valve means actuated in timed relation with respect to said first mentioned valve.

Additional objects of my invention relate to improved construction by providing means preventing undue leakage of fuel into the fuel lines, for accurate timing of fuel injection supplied under pressure from a suitable fuel pumping means, all operating from a common shaft.

For a more detailed understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, in which like characters throughout the several views refer to like parts, and in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the improved fuel metering and distributing structure associated with a pumping structure.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the timer taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 4, is a vertical sectional view of the timer taken substantially on the line fl-t of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is another sectional view through the timer taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal view of the device taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 2 and showing the fuel pumping means, the pump drive and the timer drive, and

Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram of the timer.

My fuel distributing and metering means comprises a structure formed of a plurality of casing parts, one, designated ill, which houses the pump, pump drive and timer drive as well as some of the valve actuating mechanism, H which houses the valves and fuel inlet, and outlet means and i2 which houses the solenoid actuating valve means. The casing Ill supports a reciprocating pump l3 which is reciprocated by means of a cup-shaped actuator N that is in turn actuated by the actuating cam IS. A spring 9 wedges the actuator against the cam l5. This pump discharges fuel through a one way valve l6 into a fuel line H which is connected with a second fuel line l8 connected with a fuel inlet IS in casing It.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 6, it will be observed that the casing l0 carries a pair of pumps radially associated with the drive shaft 20 and angularly spaced apart. The cam I5 is secured to shaft 20 and carries equally angularly spaced cam portions 2 l and is operated to alternately thrust against the pumps. It will be observed that as one pump ends its pressure stroke, the other pump is just beginning its pressure stroke. The cams 2! are angularly spaced apart, and thus serve to provide a continuous flow of fuel under substantially constant pressure into the fuel inlet E9. The shaft 20 also carries a gear 25 which meshes with gear 26 carried by the timer drive shaft Ti, and this shaft is preferably supported incasing ill by bearings 28 of standard construction.

In the casing l2, there is mounted a solenoid, which receives current through the electric conductor 3|, and when energized actuates the core 32 which supports a valve stem 33. Thus as the solenoid is energized it will lift the core 32 and valve stem 33 thus lifting the valve 3 4 off its seat and permitting the fuel in the inlet ill to enter the radial fuel passages 35 connected with the annular groove 36 in the valve guide 31. An adjustable stop pin 38 is supported by easing l2 and serves to limit the opening movement of this valve, the springs 39 which abut the nut t0 acting to urge the solenoid core inwardly of the device and this urges the valve towards its seat, so that when the'solenoid is de-energized the valve 3% will seat and close the connection between inlet passage l9 and fuel passages 35.

The casing H is provided with a plurality of fuel passages ll connected with the annular groove or primary fuel chamber 36 in the valve guide 31 and these passages are preferably equal in number to the number of engine cylinders for which the distributor valveis designed, and each of these passages it terminates into a chamber 42, each chamber having an outlet is controlled by a valve M. A spring at urges the valve M on its seat and same is mechanically lifted off its seat, when the valve tappet 46 is engaged with a cam roller til carried by a rotating member 58 secured or fastened by any suitable means to the drive shaft 20. When the valve M is seated, the va ve tappet it rides on the plane surface t9 the cam driving shaft of member 48 and said tappet is preferably slightly spaced from the valve 44. The contacting faces of valve 44 and tappet 4B are conical so as to permit the conical end of the tapp'et to tightly seat in the conical recess of the valve when the valve is lifted. The tappet 48 is provided with an axial bore or passage 50 extending lengthwise clear through the tappet so as to vent the discharge passage 5| which is in open communication with the outlet 43. This vent also serves to vent discharge or outlet passage II if there is any leakage past valves 44 and 34.

There are a plurality of these valves and tappets 44 and 46 respectively all constructed identically and successively opened as the roller 41 successively engages the tappets. In one complete revolution of the shaft 20 all the valves 44 will be successively opened and thus it will be noted that the valves 44 are are opened in timed relation with engine operation, sinc the shaft 20 is connected by a suitable driving connection with the engine cam shaft in the usual manner.

The timingof the electrically controlled valve 34 is had by means of an electrical timing device housed within casing 60 and driven by means of 21 which is connected as at 6| to a timer drive shaft 62. The gears 25 and 26 are preferably constructed with a one to one (1:1) ratio so that the shaft 62 preferably has the same R. P. M. as the shaft 20. The shaft 62 drives a distributor plate 63 which carries the oscillating arm 64 mounted on shaft 65, this'arm 64 carrying a contact 66 arranged to make and break with the contact 61. Referring more particularly to Fig. 7 it will be seen that the current from the source of power such as the battery 10 flows to a variable rheostat 9| into line 12 thence to ring 13 molded into the timer casing 60. A plurality of contacts 15 are carried by the casing and electrically connected with the ring 13 by an adjustable resistance connector 16 preferably composed of laminated disks or other suitable variable resistance means. The laminated resistors 1B are each separately adjusted by means of an adjusting nut 11. As the timer is rotated the arms 64 successfully contact with these contacts 15 and thus provide for flow of current through the arm 64 into the post 65 and thus to ring 18 to post 1.9 to the condenser 80. As the arm 64 leaves the contact 15, a cam 8|, which is adjustable by means of the thread and nut 82, thus actuates arm 64 to cause contacts 66 and 61 to engage thus discharging the condenser into the central post 83 which is connected outlet connection or post 84 to which the with an solenoid connection 3| may be connected.

This timer is of standard construction and it will be observed that it is useful to time the actuation of the solenoid valve. The variable rheo stat 1| is actuated to vary the amount of current flowing to line 12 and it will be readily seen that as the adjusting arm 85 of the rheostat is moved the amount of energy which enters the condenser 80 is varied, and thus the energizing of the solenoid is controlled in such a way as to vary the time in which said solenoid is energized, thus varying the open period of valve 34. and thus controlling the amount of fuel under pressure supplied to the passages 4|, chamber 42 and fuel discharge line 5|.

Preferably the valve 44 is timed for operation with respect to the solenoid operated valve, so as to open just prior to the opening of valve 34 so that when valve 34 opens there is an immediate discharge of fuel into a fuel discharge line 5!.

opened there is an immediate discharge of fuel into the fuel discharge line.

Careful study of the principles involved in the present invention will reveal that the preferred construction produces an injection system which is free of the necessity of manufacturing the machined parts with extreme accuracy, as is usually required with such mechanisms. Since small leakages, such as will occur under high injection pressure through normally fitted machined parts. will not occur in the present construction and adversely affect fuel distribution, substantially equal quantities of fuel to all engine cylinders is thereby provided for whether leakage occurs or not.

Although I have illustrated but one form of my invention and have described in detail but a single application thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fuel distributing valve structure comprising a primary fuel chamber and a plurality of secondary fuel chambers each connected directly with said primary fuel chamber, fuel discharge lines respectively connected with each of said secondary fuel chambers, a source of fuel supply under pressure, a regulable electrically actuated solenoid control valve metering fuel from said source of fuel supply under pressure to said primary fuel chamber, and mechanically operable valves respectively associated with each of said secondary fuel chambers and successively operable to control the discharge of fuel to said discharge lines, valve operating means for said valves and timed to successively open for a period said mechanically operable valves and to open and close said electrically actuated solenoid control valve once during the open period for each successive operation of said plurality of mecham'cally operated valves.

2. A fuel distributing valve structure comprising a primary fuel chamber and a plurality of secondary fuel chambers each connected directly with said primary fuel chamber, fuel discharge lines respectively connected with each of said secondary fuel chambers, a source of fuel supply under pressure, a regulable electrically actuated solenoid control valve metering fuel from said source of fuel supply under pressure to said primary fuel chamber, and mechanically operable valves respectively associated with each of said secondary fuel chambers and successively operable to control the discharge of fuel to said discharge lines, valve operating means for said valves and timed to successively open for a period said mechanically operable valves and to open and close said electrically actuated solenoid control valve once during the open period for each successive operation of said plurality of mechanically operated valves; each of said mechanically operated valves comprising a two piece valve structure, and cam means operable to lift said valve off its seat, said valve pieces being separable independently of the fuel pressure in said secondary fuel chamber associated therewith so constructed and arranged as to vent the fuel discharge line associated therewith when said valve is seated.

3. A fuel distributing valve structure comprising a primary fuel chamber and a plurality of secondary fuel chambers each connected directly with said primary fuel chamber, fuel discharge lines respectively connected with each of said secondary fuel chambers, a source of fuel supply under pressure, a regulable control valve metering fuel from said source of fuel supply under pressure to said primary fuel chamber, and mechanically operable valves respectively associated with each of said secondary fuel chambers and successively operable to control the discharge of fuel to said discharge lines, valve operating means for said valves and timed to successively open for a period said mechanically operable valves and to open and close said regulable control valve once during the open period for each successive operation of said plurality of mechanically operated valves, said means for operating said regulable control valve comprising an electric circuit, a solenoid operable to actuate said valve, said circuit including a condenser and a variable rheostat constructed and arranged to selectively vary the electrical energy discharged from said condenser to energize the solenoid, and thereby selectively vary the time period said solenoid is energized to vary the open period of said regulabie control valve.

4. A fuel distributing valve structure comprising a primary fuel chamber and a plurality of secondary fuel chambers each connected directly with said primary fuel chamber, fuel discharge lines respectively connected with each of said secondary fuel chambers, a source of fuel supply under pressure, a regulable control valve metering fuel from said source of fuel supply under pressure to said primary fuel chamber, and mechanically operable valves respectively associated with each of said secondary fuel chambers and successively operable to control the discharge of fuel to said discharge lines, valve operating means for said valves and timed to successively open for a period said mechanically operable valves and to open and close said regulable control valve once during the open period for each successive operation of said plurality of mechanically operated valves, and means for operating said regulable control valve comprising an electric circuit, a solenoid operable to actuate said valve, said circuit including a condenser and a variable rhesotat constructed and arranged to selectively vary the electrical energy discharged from said condenser to energize the solenoid, and thereby selectively vary the time period said solenoid is energized to vary the open period of said regulable control valve, and a common drive mechanism for actuating all said valve operating means including a cam driven by said mechanism for successively actuating all said mechanically operable valves and an electric timing device by said mechanism and operable to make andbreak electrical contacts to periodically discharge electrical energy for energizing said solenoid in timed relation to said mechanically operated valve operation.

5. A fuel distributing valve structure comprising a casing having a fuel inlet connected with a source of fuel supply under pressure, a primary fuel chamber and a plurality of secondary fuel chambers each connected directly with said pri mary fuel chamber, and a plurality of fuel discharge ducts each respectively associated with each of said secondary fuel chambers, a solenoid operated fuel metering valve controlling flow of fuel under pressure from said fuel inlet to said primary fuel chamber, mechanically operated valve meansv controlling the discharge of the fuel from said secondary fuel chambers to said discharge ducts, means successively actuating said mechanically operated valve means, and means actuating said solenoid operated valve to open and close the same once during the open period for each operation of said mechanically operated valve means and comprising an electric circuit including a condenser, a variable rheostat and a timer constructed and arranged to selectively vary the electrical energy discharged from said condenser energize the solenoid, and thereby selectively vary the time period said solenoid is energized to vary the open period of said solenoid operated valve.

6. A fuel distributing valve structure comprising a casing having a fuel inlet connected with a source of fuel supply under pressure, a primary fuel chamber and a plurality of sec: ondary fuel chambers each connected directly with said primary fuel chamber, and a plurality of fuel discharge ducts each respectively associ ated with each of said secondary fuel chambers, a solenoid operated fuel metering valve controlling flow of fuel under pressure from said fuel inlet to said primary fuel chamber, mechanically operated valve means controlling the discharge of the fuel from said secondar fuel chambers to said discharge ducts, means successively actuating said mechanically operated valve means, and means actuating said solenoid operated valve once for each operation of said mechanically operated valve means and comprising an electric circuit including a condenser, a variable rheostat and a timer constructed and arranged to selectively vary the electrical energy discharged from said condenser to energize the solenoid, and thereby selectively vary the time period said solenoid is energized to vary the open period of said solenoid operated valve, said timer being adjustable with respect to the actuation of said mechanically operated valves so as to open said solenoid operated valve immediatel subsequent to the opening of each of said mechanically operated valves and to close said solenoid operated valve immediately prior to the closing of each of said mechanically operated valves.

7. A fuel distributing valve structure compris ing a'c-asing having a fuel inlet connected with a source of fuel supply under pressure, a primary fuel chamber and a plurality of secondary fuel chambers each connected directly with said primary fuel chamber, and a plurality of fuel discharge ducts each respectively associated with each of said secondary fuel chambers, a solenoid operated fuel metering valve controlling flow of fuel under pressure from said fuel inlet to said primary fuel chamber, mechanically operated valve means controlling the discharge of the fuel from said secondary fuel chambers to said discharge ducts, means successively actuating said energized to vary the open period of said solenoid operated valve, said timer being adjustable with respect to the actuation of said mechanically operated valves so as to open said solenoid operated valve immediately subsequent to the openins of each of said mechanically operated valves, said means actuating said mechanically operated valves being operable to maintain same open at all times when said solenoid operated iuel meter- 1m; valve is open, and to-close immediately subsequent to the closing of said solenoid operated fuel metering valve and prior to the opening of the next mechanically operated valve to open and the reopening of said solenoid operated fuel metering valve.

. EDWARD T. VIIICENT. 

